Ecotech Approach- Haley C

1. Background: My project idea is a set of connected crops(set into net pots on a flat, floating surface) that float on a lake surface. Planting these plants on the surface of lakes and ponds (freshwater) allows us to use water already in place and use it to produce food. I would plan to grow a variation of herbs, plus tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, corn, rice and beans, celery, cucumbers, etc.
2. Explanation: Pollution and water waste are the two biggest environmental issues we currently have, and humans are a direct influence to both. This tries to combat water waste and still be able to plant crops without pollution affecting it.
3. Credits: Inspiration for this project comes from growing up on a lake and having gardens at my home. We used to take the lake water to water our plants, and I always thought what if we took it one step further and just put the plants in the water. Initially I thought it couldn’t be done, but certain crops-quite a few-don’t actually need soil, just nutrients, which can be found in lake water.
4. Simple Budget
   1. $10-styrofoam/plastic/wood top
   2. $10-16 net pots
   3. $5 pool noodles for flotation
   4. $25 plants
   5. $10 rope to tie to dock or to rock anchor = $60 total estimated cost

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Without completely changing my idea of growing an edible plant in lake water, I would like revise it to include some characteristics of the chinampas that you mentioned in your comment. Building a chinampas seems pretty involved, especially with all the laws surrounding lakes and their shorelines. However, if I carved away a small curved trench about 2 to 3 feet away from the shoreline (in soil, not sand) and connected it back to the lake on either side I think it could work.

There would be some kind of loose soil and rocks in the bottom of the trench to hold the surrounding soil in place, plus like the chinampas I would also probably need to include some kind of woven barrier to hold the up the integrity of the soil, otherwise the barrier soil would be eroded. This would also allow the roots a foundation for growth. I would include some kind of buffer plants around the trench to not allow run-off to get into the trench water. This would also solve another problem, the disks being impacted by strong current and waves in the lake.

A more extended, in depth version of this idea would possibly be more island-like barges out in the open water like other chinampas I saw.